DS9 Future Lies In Books, Says Behr

Deep Space Nine executive producer Ira Steven Behr said recently that he wouldn't have to think twice about returning to the franchise to work on mores DS9.

"[I'd return] In a heartbeat, but the chances of them doing a Deep Space Nine movie are slim and none," Behr told TV Zone Magazine.

The actor went on to explain why he doesn't think the show will ever make it to a movie screen. "I think it came to make everyone just a little bit uncomfortable," he said. "It was a show that went off the boundaries of what was going to be allowed and not allowed in terms of the Star Trek franchise. I believe that the future lies in these books that I hear they are doing to continue it. I just think it's much easier to have the Enterprise back. To have a ship back. It's a lot safer. Deep Space Nine was a bold experiment. It did not have the ratings."

Though DS9 may not have impressed studio executives, the show was popular among those who worked on it. "We liked it! We wrote it for ourselves and we had a blast!," Behr laughed. "Not only was it the best of the [Star Trek] shows, it was also the one series that had no true resolution, in a sense. It needs some sort of movie to resolve it as they left it open-ended.

"We were lucky to do it. We were lucky to do it under the circumstances that we got to do it. It was really a long shot that they would leave us alone as much as they did leave us alone. Even Rick [Berman] at one point stepped back and basically said 'Well, you're going to do it whether I say yes or no anyway!' It was such a good experience and now it's over, it's still great."

Behr still keeps up with his old pals from the show. "I still talk to Star Trek magazines, Ron Moore just called me. I just spoke to Rene [Auberjonois]. Michael Piller just sent me his new pilot to look at, so I'm very much still connected."

More from Ira Behr can be found in issue 150 of TV Zone out now in the UK. Ordering information can be found on the magazine web site. Alternatively, extracts are online here at the Great Link.